All Articles Travel Better: Three new voco™ hotels with a refreshing eco twist
Header

Travel Better: Three new voco™ hotels with a refreshing eco twist

How can we see the world while helping to save it? By traveling sustainably, you can ensure you leave each destination better than you found them.

Help to protect Australia and New Zealand’s lush landscapes and thriving wildlife by treading lightly. With voco™ hotels as your committed partner, it’s never been easier to explore Brisbane, Melbourne, and Auckland responsibly.


Walk on sunshine in Brisbane

Brisbane

Here comes the sun—with close to 300 days of sunshine a year, Brisbane is always ready to offer you a warm welcome. Queensland’s radiant capital is an arts and culture hub fringed by beaches, mountains, and waterfalls. Soak up some Vitamin D as you cycle around the city center, which is brimming with bikeways.

voco™ Brisbane City Centre

voco® Brisbane City Centre_1
voco® Brisbane City Centre_2
voco® Brisbane City Centre_3

Rising over the banks of the Brisbane River, voco® Brisbane City Centre is the newest addition to the city’s sleek skyline. This vibrant, laidback, and stylish hotel is the epitome of Brisbane’s eclectic energy and famed hospitality.

Whether you want to wind up or wind down, voco® Brisbane City Centre will match your pace. Catch some rays at the rooftop pool, enjoy some “me time” with your in-room smart TV, or grab a pint at the cafe-lounge Kraft & Co.—your stay is yours to curate. When you’re ready to go on an adventure, simply pedal off on an eco-friendly bamboo bike, loving handcrafted by Wyld Bikes.


Brisbane Botanic Gardens Mt. Coot-tha

🚴 25 min cycle from voco® Brisbane City Centre

Brisbane Botanic Gardens Mt. Coot-tha
Brisbane Botanic Gardens Mt. Coot-tha

Take a scenic ride along the Bicentennial Bikeway and stop by the Brisbane Botanic Gardens Mount Coot-tha, a living museum of native and exotic plants. Explore at your own pace on a self-guided trail, or join a free guided walk.

For a hands-on experience, visit the Kitchen in the Garden, an outdoor teaching facility, to learn about backyard food foresting, building a solar cooker, or growing a succulent photo frame—no experience required.


Queensland Museum

🚴 5 min cycle from voco® Brisbane City Centre

Queensland Museum
Queensland Museum_Review

Dive into the changing story of Australia’s Sunshine State at Queensland Museum, just a 5-minute bike ride away from voco® Brisbane City Centre. Discover rare gems at Minerals: Inspirational Treasures from the Earth, and swing by the Discovery Centre to talk to experts and interact with live animals. Don’t miss out on the Wild State gallery, which shines a spotlight on the fragile environments found within Queensland.


Three Blue Ducks

🚶 across the street of from voco® Brisbane City Centre

Three Blue Ducks
Three Blue Ducks_Review

Located right across the street from voco® Brisbane City Centre, Three Blue Ducks is a sustainable restaurant with a paddock-to-plate ethos. Every dish is thoughtfully put together—to reduce food miles, Three Blue Ducks uses local ingredients like Moreton Bay bugs. Even its wine is sourced from organic, local vineyards, and served on tap to save bottles. Other drinks like craft beer, cider, and coffee are also Australian-made, giving responsible drinking another meaning.


Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary

🚴 6 min cycle to Cultural Centre Public Pontoon for river cruise from from voco® Brisbane City Centre

Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary
Review

Cruise up the Brisbane River and head to Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary for a day of wildlife discovery. Founded in 1927, Lone Pine is the world’s oldest and largest koala sanctuary. Today, it’s home to all sorts of Australian wildlife, including kangaroos, Tasmanian devils, and cassowaries. Get up close to the endangered marsupial on the Koala Discovery Tour, where you’ll go behind-the-scenes to learn more about food preparation and veterinary care. Lone Pine is accredited by the Zoo and Aquarium Association, so you can rest assured that the animals you meet are happy and healthy.

Where riverside relaxation meets responsibility

After your adventures, voco® Brisbane City Centre is here to help you rest, relax, and rejuvenate yourself. From aerated shower heads to refillable Antipodes amenities, your guest bathroom is sleek, modern, and designed to reduce water usage and waste. As night falls over Brisbane, sleep soundly on plush bedding filled with 100% recycled materials and linen produced in line with the Better Cotton Initiative.

Shop and stay sustainably in Melbourne

Melbourne_2
Melbourne
Melbourne_3

Known as one of the world’s most liveable cities, Melbourne is a global center for street art, live music, and theater. Thanks to the city’s mild climate, flat topography, and extensive cycling routes, you can easily explore Melbourne’s laneways and arcades on bike. There’s also the free urban tram, which runs on renewable energy.


voco® Melbourne Central

Image_1
Image_2
Image_3

Designed to stand out from the crowd, voco® Melbourne Central wows you from the moment you enter the striking Sky Lobby. Floor-to-ceiling windows ensure you wake up to a sweeping view of the Melbourne skyline, while decorative elements from local creators infuse each room with originality.

voco® Melbourne Central’s state-of-the-art amenities include a rooftop plunge pool, 24/7 gym, and eight light-filled event spaces. Feeling peckish? Blacksmith Brasserie and Bar boasts a juicy rotisserie menu featuring local produce and wines.

Bourke Street Mall, the Emporium, and Melbourne Central Station are just a stone’s throw away. And with a fleet of Wyld Bikes at your disposal, adventure is right around the corner.


CERES Community Environment Park

🚴 28 min cycle from voco® Brisbane City Centre

CERES Community Environment Park
CERES Community Environment Park_Review

Easily accessible via the Merri Creek bike path, CERES Community Environment Park is a thriving urban farm and social enterprise hub, dedicated to fostering love for the planet. Take a peek into the Nursery, grab a cup of locally roasted organic coffee at the Merri Cafe, and let your little ones explore the Playspace constructed out of recycled industrial parts. CERES also offers a wide range of guided tours, covering everything from sustainable building design to ecotourism.


Queen Victoria Market

🚴 4 min cycle from voco® Melbourne Central

Image_1
Image_2
Image_3
Review

Home to over 600 small businesses, the Queen Victoria Market has welcomed shoppers since the Victorian era. Only four minutes away from voco® Melbourne Central on your Wyld Bike, Queen Vic is a great place to discover fresh and specialty produce, handmade souvenirs, and amazing coffee and food. Come hungry and join an Ultimate Foodie Tour to sample a range of seasonal delicacies.


Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria - Melbourne Gardens

🚴 14 min cycle from voco® Melbourne Central

Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria
Review

Take a scenic ride along the riverside Main Yarra Trail and you’ll soon enter a picturesque inner-city oasis. Melbourne Gardens, one of Victoria’s Royal Botanic Gardens, is home to more than 8,500 species of plants from around the world. Let nature be your classroom as you immerse yourself amid bamboo forests and wetlands, and help monitor Australian biodiversity on a ClimateWatch Walk.


Taxi Kitchen

🚴 5 min cycle from voco® Melbourne Central

Taxi Kitchen
Review

Soothe your hunger pangs at Taxi Kitchen, one of the city’s best dining rooms with a view. Its modern Australian menu dazzles with a distinct Asian influence, and features locally sourced produce, from Shark Bay scallops to Western Plains roast pork. Situated in Federation Square—five minutes away from voco® Melbourne Central by bike—you’ll be surrounded by art, culture, and unbeatable views of the Yarra River.

A breath of fresh air

Staying indoors doesn’t have to feel stuffy. Each of voco® Melbourne Central’s 252 rooms has at least one window that opens, allowing fresh air to circulate and reducing the need for air-conditioning. Plant life is cultivated both inside and outside the building to help cool it, including a herb garden on the seventh floor. Combined with automatic lighting systems that replicate the natural cycle of light, city living has never felt so refreshing.

Rejuvenate your soul while restoring nature in Auckland

Rejuvenate your soul while restoring nature in Auckland

Auckland isn’t just the economic hub of New Zealand, it’s also a diverse city with distinct cultures and landscapes. With volcanic fields, native rainforests, and rugged coastlines just outside the city center, Auckland is a vibrant mix of urban and natural flavors. Sustainable travelers can explore with ease—New Zealand’s tourism industry aims to be net zero carbon by 2050.


voco® Auckland City Centre

voco® Auckland City Centre_1
voco® Auckland City Centre_2
voco® Auckland City Centre_3

Rising above the bustling CBD, voco® Auckland City Centre offers unexpected delights. Hand-picked wall art and smart in-room technology will make you feel right at home, while Harbour View Suites up the ante with a stunning view of Waitemata Harbour. And with unlimited access to voco® Auckland City Centre’s Wyld Bikes, zipping around the city has never been easier.

On the hotel’s ground floor, Italian trattoria Mozzarella & Co. serves authentic wood-fired pizzas and classic pasta dishes, championing locally-sourced seasonal produce. Up on level 38, take in the panoramic views while sipping on bespoke cocktails at Bar Albert, New Zealand’s highest rooftop bar. Grab a seat on a cozy leather lounge, admire the view from the open deck, or peep behind a bookshelf to uncover a private salon.


Hauraki Gulf

🚴 4 min cycle to Viaduct Harbour from voco® Auckland City Centre

Hauraki Gulf
hauraki_Review

Exploring the Hauraki Gulf is a must-do while you’re in Auckland. Its star attraction, the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park, is New Zealand’s largest marine reserve. Spot bottlenose dolphins and Bryde’s whales on an eco-safari cruise while participating in marine research. To counteract the cruise’s carbon emissions, passengers can also choose to make a donation for the purchase, planting, and care of a tree.


Ortolana

🚴 3 min cycle from voco® Auckland City Centre

Ortolana
Ortolona_Review

Ortolana, or “market gardener” in Italian, is a restaurant like no other. Surrounded by greenery and flowers in a sunlit conservatory, this whimsical eatery is more than just a pretty face. Ortolana walks the talk with its strict farm-to-table philosophy; all produce comes straight from its Kumeu farm, while meat is locally sourced. Curious about a dish’s origins, or how it was prepared? Your friendly waiter is always happy to share more. Swing by anytime—Ortolana is only three minutes away from voco® Auckland City Centre by bike.


Waiheke Island

🚴 7 min cycle to Wynyard Wharf from voco® Auckland City Centre

Waiheke Island
EcoZip_Review

Take a break from the city buzz with a day trip to Waiheke Island. Cycle down to Wynyard Wharf, hop on a ferry, and you’ll arrive in just 35 minutes. For a bird’s eye view of the bush and beach, soar through the forest with Eco Zip. While flying through the air, you’ll learn more about local flora and fauna and Eco Zip’s conservation efforts. Before you head back to the city, don’t forget to visit Waiheke Island’s world-famous vineyards.


Auckland Zoo

🚴 23 min cycle from voco® Auckland City Centre

Auckland Zoo
Auckland Zoo_Review

Take a walk on the wild side at Auckland Zoo. Home to 135 species and over 1,400 animals, the Zoo is dedicated to building a future for wildlife. Stroll through the newly-opened high canopy primate habitat, journey through the lush South American rainforest, and come up close to the creatures that rule the vast plains of the African savannah. Your visit will contribute towards funding Auckland Zoo’s conservation activities out in the wild.

Kind to you, your loved ones, and the world

Like all other voco™ properties, each guest room at voco® Auckland City Centre is designed for sustainability, from eco-conscious rain showers to intuitive lighting. The hotel also uses ventilation air heat recovery to reuse excess heat, maximising energy use efficiency and improving indoor air quality, so you can stay in comfort without having to worry about your impact on the environment.

Guilt-free stay: The voco™ Experience

Ready to check in to your home away from home? voco™ hotels are committed to helping every traveler start and end their adventures sustainably. Each eco-friendly feature is curated to be fuss-free, intuitive, and easily integrated into your daily life; at the same time, environmental initiatives work seamlessly behind the scenes to ensure your stay is as clean and green as possible.

Welcome to better travel. Book your stay with IHG voco™ today.